Systems and methods comprising permanganate for improved preservation and yield of crops and related goods

Abstract

Preferred embodiments of the present invention comprise the optional application of concentrations of an aqueous permanganate solution, such as an approximately 0.01% to approximately 50% liquid permanganate solution and preferably comprising approximately 20% sodium permanganate dosed at approximately 1 ppm to approximately 100 ppm to harvested sugar crops, such as sugarcane, sugar beets, and sweet sorghum, at one or more of the sugar processing steps for the crops. The steps where the liquid sodium permanganate may optionally be applied include at a sugar crop cutting step, a sugar crop conveying step, a sugar juice extraction step, a sugar juice clarifying step, and a clarifier muds filtration step. The application of liquid sodium permanganate in the processing of sugar from sugar crops results in reduced equipment fouling, reduced loss in juice purity, reduced scale formation, decreased turbidity in clarified juices, increased sugarcane processing rates, reduced sugar crop production costs, increased sugar product yield, and increased production capacity.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for improving production of sugar from sugar crops, the method comprising the steps of:
 (i) preparing a sugar crop to form a prepared sugar crop for milling in a sugar mill to extract sugar therefrom; 
 (ii) optionally applying a first application of an aqueous permanganate solution to the prepared sugar crop; 
 (iii) conveying the prepared sugar crop to the sugar mill; 
 (iv) optionally applying a second application of the aqueous permanganate solution to the prepared sugar crop as the prepared sugar crop is being conveyed to the sugar mill; 
 (v) processing the prepared sugar crop in a tandem mill of the sugar mill to form a processed sugar crop; 
 (vi) optionally applying a third application of the aqueous permanganate solution to the processed sugar crop at the tandem mill and/or to an imbibition water used to wash the processed sugar crop at the tandem mills; 
 (vii) forming cush cush and extracting sugar juice from the processed sugar crop to form extracted sugar juice; 
 (viii) optionally applying a fourth application of the aqueous permanganate solution to the cush cush; 
 (ix) optionally applying a fifth application of the aqueous permanganate solution to the extracted sugar juice; 
 (x) clarifying the extracted sugar juice in a clarifier to form clarified sugar juice and clarifier muds; 
 (xi) filtering the clarifier muds to form clarifier muds filtrate; and 
 (xii) optionally applying a sixth application of the aqueous permanganate solution to the clarifier muds filtrate; 
 wherein at least one of the optionally applying steps (ii), (iv), (vi), (viii), (ix), and (xii) is performed; 
 wherein the aqueous permanganate solution comprises approximately 0.01% to approximately 50% by weight permanganate, and 
 wherein the aqueous permanganate solution is dosed in concentrations ranging from approximately 1 part per million to approximately 100 parts per million. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sugar crop is sugar cane, sugar beets, or sweet sorghum. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous permanganate solution comprises sodium permanganate. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the aqueous permanganate solution is dosed in concentrations ranging from approximately 5 parts per million to approximately 30 parts per million. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous permanganate solution comprises potassium permanganate. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the optionally applying steps (ii), (iv), (vi), (viii), (ix), and (xii) are performed. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least three of the optionally applying steps (ii), (iv), (vi), (viii), (ix), and (xii) are performed. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least four of the optionally applying steps (ii), (iv), (vi), (viii), (ix), and (xii) are performed. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the preparing step (i) comprises a cutting of the sugar crop into billets and wherein the applying step (ii) comprises an application of the aqueous permanganate solution to the cut ends of the billets. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous permanganate solution comprises approximately 10% to approximately 30% by weight permanganate. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous permanganate solution comprises approximately 20% by weight permanganate. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the applying steps (ii), (iv), (vi), and (viii) comprise the application of the aqueous permanganate solution by spraying. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the applying steps (vi), (ix), and (xii) comprise the application of the aqueous permanganate solution by injection into the imbibition water of step (vi), the extracted sugar juice of step (ix), and the clarifier muds filtrate of step (xii), respectively. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a purity of at least one of the extracted sugar juice and the clarified sugar juice is improved as compared to a purity of sugar juice formed in processes where the aqueous permanganate solution is absent. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a quantity of microbes in at least one of the extracted sugar juice and the clarified sugar juice is reduced as compared to a quantity of microbes in sugar juice formed in processes where the aqueous permanganate solution is absent. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein an overall yield of sugar produced in accordance with the method of  claim 1  is increased as compared to an overall yield of sugar produced in accordance with methods where the aqueous permanganate solution is absent. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a step (xiii) concentrating the clarified sugar juice in an evaporator, wherein a heat transfer efficiency of the evaporator is improved as compared to a heat transfer efficiency of an evaporator used in processes where the aqueous permanganate solution is absent. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , the processing step (v) further comprising a use of knives to cut the prepared sugar crop and the forming step (vii) further comprising a use of a drag in connection with the cush cush, wherein a fouling and a scaling of the knives and the drag are reduced as compared to a fouling and scaling of knives and drags used in processes where the aqueous permanganate solution is absent. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a turbidity of the clarified sugar juice produced in accordance with the method of  claim 1  is reduced as compared to a turbidity of sugar juice formed in accordance with processes where the aqueous permanganate solution is absent.